Dr. Thomas Boat Receives 2018 John Howland Award

You are here

The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) congratulates Dr. Thomas F. Boat, who has been named 2018 John Howland Award recipient, the most prestigious award presented within the American Pediatric Society (APS).

Dr. Boat is Dean Emeritus of the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and was chair of the ABP Board of Directors in 1994.

Dr. Boat began his volunteer work with the ABP in 1984 as a member of the first Subboard of Pediatric Pulmonology. He served on various committees, including the Long-Range Planning Committee, Research Advisory Committee, and Subspecialties Committee, until 2009.

Also, he was the 2003 recipient of the St. Geme Award for Leadership, presented by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations, and was elected to the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) in 2001. He has held leadership positions in numerous medical organizations, including the American Pediatric Society, the American Society of Pediatric Department Chairs, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the American Thoracic Society.

“Tom Boat has been a successful translational researcher, an inspirational department director and dean, and now the leader of National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine workgroups focused on children’s mental and behavioral health,” said David G. Nichols, MD, MBA, President & CEO of the ABP. “Dr. Boat’s most recent leadership roles around mental health for children continue the ABP’s collaboration with this most remarkable man for more than 30 years.”

Dr. Boat chaired the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics from 1982-93, then moved to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as Chair of Pediatrics, Director of the Research Foundation, and Physician-In-Chief until 2007. He then reorganized the adult practice plan of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and became its Dean. For the past three years, he has been Director of CF Well, a program focused on learning how subspecialty pediatrics can identify needs and better support family wellness when a child has a disabling or life-threatening chronic disease.

The Howland Award is given annually by the APS in honor of Dr. John Howland (1873-1926), to recognize individuals for their distinguished service to pediatrics as a whole, and for making significant contributions to advancing pediatrics through clinical care, scientific discovery, mentorship, and service.